Bamako airport now operational after renovation works

The new infrastructures of the airport at Bamako Sénou were inaugurated Friday 17 December 2010 by the Malian Head of State, Amadou Toumani Touré.

The airport of Sénou has been renovated to cope with the increase in traffic. Initially designed to handle 200,000 passengers a year, it now handles over 600,000, reports the newspaper L'indépendant.

The purpose of these works, which cost nearly 16 million dollars, is to turn Bamako - Sénou into a "hub" of West Africa, and also to increase the flow of trade in goods, to stimulate economic development.

This was the second inauguration by the Malian Head of State last week, following that of the new 45 MW heavy fuel electricity power station at Bamako, two days previously.

The total cost of this power station comes to 68.6 million dollars, financed by the Islamic Development Bank and the State of Mali, reports the PANA press agency.